


Marriage

by Rasiaa



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Arranged Marriage, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-26
Updated: 2018-03-26
Packaged: 2019-04-08 06:03:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 570
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14098848
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rasiaa/pseuds/Rasiaa
Summary: Bellatrix hates these family dinners. But she hates her sister's perceptiveness even more.





	Marriage

**Author's Note:**

> For slythrclw-shdwhntr-46 and the monthly one shot exchange.  
> Muggle!AU, ethereal, hurt/comfort, Bellatrix
> 
> Hope you like it. It's probably not what you imagined though, because it certainly wasn't what I thought it would be, haha.

It was never easy, sitting through these dinners.

Regulus was too quiet, a shadow in the corner of the fire that was the Black family. Sirius burned in the very center, lashing out easily and making everyone else as miserable as possible. Her own sister Andromeda edged him on with quiet words and subtle gestures, finding weak spots in their armor and pointing them out to the wayward heir. And Cissy - well. All she cared about were her letters from the Malfoy boy, and that made conversation with her impossible.

So Bella sat alone.

Not literally, of course; that was the whole point of these monthly charades. But she sat behind the glass wall.

The phone started to ring. She glanced over, but it was really nothing interesting - her mother hung up seconds later with a scowl.

As soon as it was acceptable, Bell got up and walked away.

She went outside. It was cold, but at least it wasn't snowing and the sky was clear.

The roses were dying, so she just took one right off the bush and rubbed the petals between her fingers. They flaked and crumbled, and that was how Cissy found her.

"You don't usually leave so early, sister," she murmured, plucking one of the roses for herself.

Bella glared at her, resentful. "What would you know?" she demanded. "Your head is in the clouds."

"I see more than you think, Bellatrix," Cissy snapped, her eyes sharpening. "What - Sirius not bothering you today? Andromeda has a lot of gossip and you've not made mention of her impending disownment once."

"And?"

Cissy stared at her. She took the remains of Bella's rose and tossed it, ignoring her outraged cry. She took Bella by the elbow and dragged her through the bushes.

"There's something ethereal about this place," Cissy said, coming to a stop in the middle of the woods, the place acting as a barrier for the house.

"You're smoking something, Cissy," Bella replied, face twisting in disgust. She wrenched her arm away and Cissy allowed it without at fight.

"Maybe," Cissy said airily. "Or is it you that's smoking?"

Bella scowled, turning away. She walked several steps back the way they came before Cissy stopped her.

"Look, sister, don't think I don't know what this is about."

"You know nothing," Bella snarled, whipping back around to face her. The curls that framed her face bounced with the movement, the hairspray having worn off through the hours of the day.

"The Lestrange family is a noble one. But you've never wanted to be tied down!" Cissy declared.

Bella lost her fight. She sank against the tree behind her and sighed.

"Your engagement was the talk of the town. And you've never even met him."

"Can you not tell me things I don't already know?" Bella demanded, staring at her youngest sister tiredly.

"Fine, then. I heard that Mother and Father want to marry me off to some posh, arrogant boy whose name I cannot recall. Zabini, maybe. So Lucius and I are eloping."

Bella's face fell in shock, eyes growing wide.

"Why?" Bella whispered, running forward to grasp at Cissy's hands. "You will lose everything, sister. Everything."

"Andy is losing everything, too. Why not give them a real shock?" Cissy smiled, sly. "I know you've always been fond of Riddle."

Cissy pulled away. "Think about it, Bella," she said, and turned away.

Bella stared after her.


End file.
